The book offers a comprehensive exploration of Sicily's artistic heritage from prehistory to the late 20th century, highlighting the island's unique blend of cultures due to its strategic Mediterranean location. It presents a chronological survey that begins with historical overviews, followed by detailed discussions of art and architecture from various periods, including contributions from notable architects and artists. By emphasizing the interactions and transformations among different cultures, the author challenges the notion that Sicilian art is merely derivative, showcasing its distinctiveness in Europe.
The personalities and careers of Victorian artists, and their social and intellectual context, are explored in this account, which aims to reveal how they blended foreign influences with the native British tradition. The range of artistic production in the Victorian age included history painting; topographical landscapes of the Continent and the Middle East; Landseer's royal portraits and heroic animal pictures; Pre-Raphaelite painting with its combined naturalism and symbolism; Leighton's classical mythologies; and Frith's popular depictions of the leisured middle classes. Amid this great variety of styles and emphasis, influential critics such as Ruskin dictated that art should be morally uplifting, an orthodoxy challenged by Whistler, Sickert, Steer and their fellows among the "London Impressionists". 177 illustrations, 24 in color
Ford Madox Brown had already pioneered a style of painting which came to be
known as Pre-Raphaelite before the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood was founded in
1848. His beautifully observed landscapes anticipated the open-air effects of
the Impressionists. This title provides a general introduction to Brown's art
based on fresh research.
- The ultimate insider's guide to Manchester - Features interesting and unusual places not found in traditional travel guides - Part of the international 111 Places series with over 650 titles and 3.8 million copies in print worldwide - Appeals to both the local market (more than 510,000 people call Manchester home) and the tourist market (more than 119 million people visit Manchester every year!) - Fully illustrated with 111 full-page color photographs - Revised and updated edition Manchester is far more than a grey provincial city preoccupied with the business of making money. The bales of cotton goods awaiting export have gone from the grand warehouses styled like palaces, and the cotton mills no longer hum with the sound of machinery. Yet the buildings remain in all their glory of tiles, terracotta and stained glass - converted to hotels, offices, chic apartments, hipster bars, fine eateries or gritty drinking dens. The textile trade may have disappeared, but you can find sustainable fashion in the old rag-trade district, and top quality coats and jackets are still being hand-sewn in the last remaining family-owned clothing factory. This book will also take you to alternative Manchester - Radical Manchester from Peterloo to the Pankhursts, Literary Manchester from Elizabeth Gaskell to Anthony Burgess, and of course to Madchester, the crazy music scene of Morrissey, Tony Wilson, the Hacienda and Factory Records.
Liverpool’s unique history as an international port and cultural melting pot gives it a distinctive character. The city has produced world-conquering music and boasts more historic buildings than any British metropolis outside London, including two magnificent cathedrals and renowned museums. However, beyond its celebrated exterior lies a labyrinth of hidden places. This offbeat guidebook invites you to discover a different Liverpool: from tunnels and skyscrapers to secret bars, specialty shops, and disused factories. Encounter Balenciaga trainers, football trophies, rolling bridges, and disappearing statues, alongside Liver Birds and extravagant cakes. Explore Britain’s first mosque and wander through a roof garden of wildflowers that bloom throughout the year. Marvel at the world’s most expensive book and the largest brick building, constructed with 27 million bricks. Relax in a trendy tea bar with over 50 varieties of loose-leaf tea, or enjoy Dandelion and Burdock with your fish and chips. Whether you’re a first-time tourist, a repeat visitor, or a longtime local, prepare to be charmed and surprised by 111 eccentric and unusual places you’d never expect to find in a city known for football and the Fab Four.
